ASL Lessons Video Library 

Family ASL Video Lessons

American Sign Language is an important communication tool for family members of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and those working with them. The videos linked below are a great place to start.

These lessons are based on the text, Sign Language for the Family: A Total Communication Picture Reference Book with permission from SKI-HI. Families in Virginia with a child who has hearing loss and who are using VSDB’s online lessons may request one free copy of this book from VSDB Outreach Services. To request a book, contact:

Robin Bliven
Phone: (252) 258-0813
Email Robin Bliven

 (Offer is limited to one book per family and based on available funding.)

Vocabulary Lessons Presented by Patti Cooke

Sign Language for the Family: A Total Communication Picture Reference Book” by SKI-HI.

American Sign Language is an important communication tool for family members of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and those working with them. The videos linked below are a great place to start.

Introduction to the Book

(1:30)

“Sign Language for the Family: A Total Communication Picture Reference Book” by SKI-HI.

Introduction to Patti Cooke

(3:41)

Sign instructor for Family ASL* from Outreach Services, VSDB.  Patti tells a little about herself and her family.

Lesson 1: First Words

(9:34)

Includes signs for vocabulary used often with infants and toddlers, practice sentences, and suggested activities for the family that incorporate the use of these words.

Lesson 1 Review

(1:43)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 1: First Words” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 2: More First Words

(9:27)

Includes signs for more vocabulary often used with infants and toddlers, practice sentences, and suggested activities for the family that incorporate the use of these words.

Lesson 2 Review

(1:43)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 2: More First Words” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 3: Family

(9:36)

Includes signs for members of the family, practice sentences, and suggested activities that incorporate the use of these words.

Lesson 3 Review

(1:41)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 3: Family” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 4: The Alphabet

(10:12)

Includes the fingerspelled English alphabet and suggested activities for the family to practice using fingerspelling.

Lesson 4 Review

(1:50)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 4: The Alphabet” for a quick review of fingerspelled letters.

Lesson 5: Numbers 1-20

(6:59)

Includes signs for numbers 1 – 20 and suggested activities for the family that incorporate the use of these numbers.

Lesson 5 Review

(1:45)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 5: Numbers 1-20” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 6: Numbers 20 and Above

(7:02)

Includes signs for numbers 20 and above and suggested activities for the family to practice signing these numbers.

Lesson 6 Review

(2:26)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 6: Numbers 20 and Above” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 7: Good Morning

(5:11)

Includes signs for vocabulary used often with infants and toddlers as they awaken, practice sentences, and suggested activities for the family that incorporate the use of these words.

Lesson 7 Review

(1:23)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 7: Good Morning” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 8: A Clean Diaper!

(7:07)

Includes signs for vocabulary used often with infants and toddlers as their diapers are changed, practice sentences, and suggested activities for the family that incorporate the use of these words.

Lesson 8 Review

(1:31)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 8: A Clean Diaper!” for a quick review of signs.

Lesson 9: Using the Bathroom

(4:57)

Includes signs for vocabulary used often with infants and toddlers while in the bathroom, practice sentences, and suggested activities for the family that incorporate the use of these words.

Lesson 9 Review

(1:41)

Can be used after viewing “Lesson 9: Using the Bathroom” for a quick review of signs.

Lessons Presented by Rhonda Jennings-Arey

Sign Language for the Family: A Total Communication Picture Reference Book” by SKI-HI.

Lesson 10: The Sign Continuum: ASL, English, and Contact Varieties

(4:17)

Describes the differences between various forms of sign language and American Sign Language.

Lesson 11: ASL Stages of Development: Birth – 3yrs

(6:36)

Details the language milestones achieved by a child who is naturally exposed to good models of ASL as they learn ASL.

Lesson 12: Number Incorporation

(6:08)

Describes how, in ASL, numbers may be incorporated into the signing of a noun rather than signing the number and the noun separately.

Lesson 13: Non-Manual Signals and ASL Grammar

(3:26)

Describes signals that do not involve the hands but convey grammatical information in ASL.

Lesson 14: Importance of Facial Expressions – Emotions

(2:37)

Demonstrates the importance of appropriate facial expression in conveying emotion.

Lesson 15: Directional Agreement of Verbs in ASL

(4:11)

Directionality, in ASL, is used to show who is doing what to whom or to show the location of movement.

Lesson 16: ASL Classifiers Used to Represent People and Objects

(5:10)

Lessons 16, 17, and 18 relate to “classifiers,” or designated handshapes used to represent nouns and verbs. The purpose of a classifier is to provide additional information about nouns and verbs such as: location, kind of action, size, shape and manner.

Lesson 17: ASL Classifiers – Location and Movement

(3:09)

Lessons 16, 17, and 18 relate to “classifiers,” or designated handshapes used to represent nouns and verbs. The purpose of a classifier is to provide additional information about nouns and verbs such as: location, kind of action, size, shape and manner.

Lesson 18: ASL Classifiers Used to Describe Objects and People

(3:30)

Lessons 16, 17, and 18 relate to “classifiers,” or designated handshapes used to represent nouns and verbs. The purpose of a classifier is to provide additional information about nouns and verbs such as: location, kind of action, size, shape and manner.

Lesson 19: Noun-Verb Pairs

(2:39)

Describes signs that share the same handshape, location, and palm orientation, but are distinguished by a change in movement of the sign.

Lesson 20: Temporal Aspects of ASL

(2:38)

Describes how the movement of some verb signs can be changed to show how often or how long.

Lesson 21: Plural Nouns

(2:22)

Describes how verbs can be signed differently in ASL to agree with number and to show how an activity is distributed.

Name Signs

(10:12)

Specific signs that refer to specific people. This lesson describes how a person is given a name sign, and what a name sign means to a person.

Reading to Children Using ASL: The Three Little Pigs

(12:43)

Demonstrates strategies for presenting a story to child using ASL in ways that engage the child and foster language development and literacy skills.